George Rothblat, PhD
- Department: Pediatrics
- Division: GI/Nutrition
- Address:
34th & Civic Center Boulevard
Abramson, Room 1102C
Philadelphia, PA 19104 - Phone: (215)590-0585
- Email: rothblat@email.chop.edu
Research Summary:
My research focuses on the role played by a cholesterol within individual cells. The work examines the mechanisms by which cholesterol molecules move in and out of cells when cells are exposed to high density lipoprotein (HDL). HDL is the lipoprotein in the blood that protects against the development of atherosclerosis, and the information that we are gathering from our studies will provide a basis for the development of new drugs that could raise an individual's level of serum HDL, and thus reduce the incidence of atherosclerosis.
My laboratory is examining a variety of aspects of cellular lipid metabolism with an emphasis on cholesterol. Our experimental systems employ a variety of different cell types. Using these tissue culture systems we examine the flux of cholesterol between the cells and serum lipoproteins, particularly high density lipoproteins. Other studies are examining the mechanisms responsible for the deposition of cholesteryl ester within macrophages and smooth muscle cells that result in the development of the foam cells that are the hallmark of the developing atherosclerotic plaque.
